Don't Steal My Thunder!

As Jimmy Buffett has been known to tell his audience from the stage, "It's not nice to beat Jimmy to the words of his own songs".  Can't relate?  Have you ever told a joke, and had someone steal the punchline? See, it's not cool when someone steals your thunder. Well, this holds true with product presentations on TV Shopping shows.  

As a guest expert, I spend a considerable amount of time before I ever appear on TV with a product, crafting my presentation.  I carefully choose my words, the demonstrations, and the order in which they'll appear.  Just like a piece of music, the presentation needs to build slowly to a crescendo, not flop all over the place without rhyme or reason, jumping from one point to another.  But, I've seen some serious flipping and flopping on occasion because people jump the gun.  We can't help ourselves!  It's like a child knowing the answer to a question in class and just blurting it out...it's human nature.  I've experienced this as both a host, and as a guest expert.  I've seen it happen on every TV shopping network out there at one time or another. While it's not an epidemic, it certainly happens often enough to take note, especially with successful products, where everyone gets to know the pitch over time, due to the frequency of airing. So what can you do?

Be patient, wait your turn, and know your role.  Sounds simple doesn't it? But it's not.  It takes discipline to hold your tongue,  and give someone else the spotlight for a moment.  You have to be committed to your role, and revel in the fact that it's every bit as important as the person doing the presentation, telling the joke, or playing the music.  

"Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors." - Constantin Stanislavski

 So, play your part, be it show host, wingman, or straight man (or woman).  Those are important parts too, and in some cases even more important than the person talking.  Timing is everything, and in the end, someone has to react to the pitch, laugh at the joke, and applaud Jimmy Buffett's songs.  

Talk TO me, not AT me!

It might seem like splitting hairs, but there really is a difference between talking to someone, and talking at them.  When you talk to someone, you're having a conversation.  When you talk at someone, well, then you're just lecturing them...and no one likes being lectured.

The best product presentations are conversations between the host and guest expert.  Where they go awry, is when one or the other stops listening.  Yes, we all have things we want to say, and yes, it's very important...but wait your turn!  When I teach someone how to pitch, one of the first things I tell them is remember to W.A.I.T.  That acronym reminds them to ask themselves, "why am I talking"?  In other words, take a breath, and do a gut check.  Is what you're saying relevant?  Is it moving the presentation forward?  Is it helping you hit all the points you need to make?  If not, stop talking, and start listening. With any luck, your host is doing the same thing, and VIOLA!  You're having a conversation. Ideally, the host is asking you questions that actually set up your next demonstration, and you're answering with pertinent information.  Ideally.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and the result is two people fighting for air-time.  There's no listening, there's no teamwork, there's no flow.  Not only is it uncomfortable to be a part of this, it's even worse for the viewer at home.  The result? The audience changes channels, sales plummet, and the presenters wonder, "what happened?"

So, next time you do a presentation on TV (think positive), choose to talk to the other person, and not at them. It'll be a lot more fun for everyone involved, and you might be surprised by the results!

Product 101

Some 25 years ago when I went through host training at HSN, the first thing we were taught was that that the product is king.  Not me, not you, not the model, and certainly not the set we're selling from.  And yet, it seems like people forget this from time to time.  I like to call it believing your own press release syndrome.  This is the phenomena where a presenter starts to think that their mere presence is more powerful and important to the sell than exploring the features & benefits of the actual item being sold.  This is a bad thing.  Because the customers want to see what they're (hopefully) buying.  They want to see it work, they want to know what it can do, and they want to know how they might use it in their homes.  Do they care about our opinions?  Sure, to a certain extent.  But, not more so than seeing their potential purchase do it's thing on live TV.

Now, if you're reading this, and we work together on TV, don't worry, I'm not talking about YOU...as far as you know.  The truth is, that we're all guilty of hogging the camera from time to time, taking the limelight away from the true star, our product.  So what should you do? Listen to yourself, listen to your co-host, and ask yourself, "does what I'm saying actually impact the sales of this item?"  If the answer is no, change your tactics, let the other person talk, but for the love of Mike, please don't just monologue for the sake of face time!  Remember, air time is precious, and the product is King...not you.

The Importance of Being Earnest

When I was in college, I studied acting for a while... a really long while, like four years.  And in that time, I learned a little about acting, and a lot about myself, mostly that I'm a lousy actor.  But, I did learn that I enjoyed being in front of people and commanding an audience.  And that's why I'm SO lucky to be doing what I do, because I get to be on camera without acting...I get to be myself.  It's true, the person you see selling products on TV is exactly who I am.  When I laugh at something, it's because I genuinely think it's funny (catch me working with Robin Wall some time), and when I'm enthusiastic about a product, I'm really excited about what I'm selling.

It's authentic, it's real, and it's all I know how to do, because remember, I'm no actor.  Which makes it all the more strange to me when people new to the field always think they need to be someone else...some ideal pitchman they have in their head.

I train new presenters, so I get to see how hard it really is for them to be themselves.  They always want to be that guy/gal they see in infomercials. Now there is a school of thought that favors this method. Tony Robbins is one proponent of copying success...

If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do, and you'll achieve the same results.

Tony Robbins

And in certain situations, that's excellent advice!  But not when it comes to selling products on live television. Because unless you possess some next level acting skills, people will know.  Sure, when we're watching a TV series or a play, we KNOW those people are acting. But, we suspend our disbelief and go with it for the sake of the show.  That's not the case with television retailing. When you're watching someone present a product on live TV, you want the TRUTH.  You want them to be earnest about their item, and to not pretend to be someone they're not.  It sounds easy, but it can take years of practice to be comfortable enough to just be yourself...on TV...in front of millions of people.

Of course, there's more to being a successful Pitchperson on TV than just being yourself, but that's another story for another day.  For now, remember step ONE...be earnest, and be yourself!

We're back...well, I'm back.

It's been a REALLY long time since I last posted here, and I mean to change that.  Despite my hectic appearance schedule, I'm really going to make the effort to keep my blog current. Perhaps it'll be cathartic to get my thoughts out about being a Ptchman on TV, or maybe it'll drive me insane.  Either way, it should make for an interesting read.  Stay tuned!

Stay Frosty My Friends...

In addition to being a pitchman on television retailers, I also bring product to the networks. Often I am approached by very clever, industrious people with a new idea that they've worked on for countless hours developing. They have lived and breathed their idea, spent their life savings and truly believe it is the next great thing. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't...but all of that doesn't matter, because at the end of the day it all comes down to dollars and cents. You see, if even their idea is next best thing since sliced bread, if the numbers don't work no one will buy it. And I'm not talking about consumers here, I'm talking about the buyers at retailers, catalogs and TV shopping channels. While that might seem terribly elementary, it's a surprise to many people. It's all about margins, or the markup a retailer can make on an item, so if your wholesale price is too high, even if you've invented a perpetual motion machine, no one will give you a purchase order unless the numbers work. Too often, I encounter people who have fallen in love with their product and refuse to believe that it's not worth what they want to charge, or more often, what their costs and the margins demand.

So be practical, detached, aloof even, when it comes to your product. Believe in your invention, nurture it and watch it grow, but source it properly and make sure your costs are inline with the margins needed for the sales environment(s) of your choice.

The January Doldrums

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for all of us all to get our Christmas credit card statements and clamp down on spending like a mousetrap on a, well...mouse. Those of us in television retailing see it every year, and yet, every year we're surprised by it. Why is it so many of us in this business have such horrible sort term memory? Don't answer that. Anyway, sales these days are down across the boards, but I'm here to tell you, "don't panic!" Like I said, we go through this every year, so don't worry that your item has lost it's luster, run it's course or hit the end of the product cycle. It's the credit card bills! It's their fault! Buck up, the sun'll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun! After all, if you think our short-term memory is bad, it's NOTHING compared to that of the general public when it comes to spending and bills.

And thank God for that;)

It's a Durafiber kind of day!

Well on 12/10/09 I will be selling the Durafiber cleaning cloths on HSN at 6AM and 9AM (then the Heat Surge Amish Fireplace at 5PM, but that's another post). This time we're featuring the 40 piece set of Durafiber for only $19.95, which is a really great deal. "What is Durafiber?", you might ask...well, I like to tell people that Durafiber is like microfiber on steroids.

Wanna see what I mean? Well, you can check it out by clicking here. OR, you could just watch me LIVE very early in the morning. The choice is yours my friends.

It's been a while...

Wow, it has been QUITE some time since last I posted anything here...shame on me. My bad. Mea culpa. Moving on...

A lot has happened in the last year or so. We have a new President, the economy is getting better (although I'm not sure the two are related) and I have a whole slew of new products I'm selling on TV. First and foremost is the Heat Surge Amish Fireplace, and yes, it is REALLY built by the Amish. I was there and I've seen them build the whole mantle and frame out of real wood. The heater insert is manufactured in China and imported by Heat Surge.

Another new item I'm pitching is the Magic Saw, which cuts thru everything, at least everything I've tried so far.

I'm also selling an item called the Autochron, which is a light switch timer...I know, "why didn't I think of that?" There's nothing else like it and it's patented, exclusive to HSN. Here is a the DRTV spot we shot for it...

Autocron from Lou Caputo on Vimeo.

Finally a Product You Can Trust!

I just had the great pleasure of hosting and producing a two minute DRTV spot for a product called Insta-Fix.  This stuff is amazing!  It's an adhesive that bonds instantly to ANY surface, so you can mix-and-match materials and you don't have to sit there forever holding your project till it dries.  In addition, the product comes with a filler that you can use in conjunction with the adhesive to fill or seal cracks, holes or gouges in anything.  The stuff dries rock hard in seconds and you can sand, paint or stain it.  I am totally sold on this product and you will be too.  Check out the spot here www.instafix.com and see what you think.  We did some amazing demonstrations that will blow your mind!

Oh Canada!

I've been laying low for a while, mostly because I've become SO disenchanted with the world of television retailing.  Too many people in positions of influence who have NO IDEA what they are doing.  But gosh, can't the same thing be said about Wall Street or even the government?

Moving on...

Canada.  The Great White North.  A great place to visit and an even better place to sell products.  If you've never seen The Shopping Channel out of Ontario, you really must tune in and check it out (live feed at www.theshoppingchannel.com).  They have a great format and a laid back style that is as much a pleasure to watch as it is to sell in.  I love it.  Having just returned from a recent appearance selling electronics, I've got to tell you that it's almost easier than selling here in the USA, even with the flights, hotels, rent a cars AND customs.  The stress level is lower and the people who work there are actually happy to be there.  Plus, their hosts are truly knowledgeable and they give you the TIME and FREEDOM to actually sell your product.

I can't wait to go back.

Know Your Audience!

I don't think it's any great secret that most college student's don't have A LOT of disposable income (although these days they're not the only ones in that boat).  When they go out to buy furnishings for their dorm rooms, they're looking for anything that is cheap or free.  Bookshelves made out of 2' X 4' s and cinder blocks are not cheesy, they're innovative.  So, why do I keep seeing TV retailers selling items aimed at students at greatly inflated prices?  Like what?  How about a bean bag chair for $199?!?  A BEAN BAG CHAIR!  You can find them in stores for anywhere from $29-$99, so what kid is going to buy one off TV for twice the price?  Unless some well-heeled mom is watching, I'd say that was an ill conceived offering.  Now, I'm not disputing that the bean bag chairs in question might have been worth the premium price, but to position them as dorm room necessity... at that price point... no.  Sure, if I were in the market or bean bag chairs I might fork over a premium for something nicer, but for use in a college dorm room it would be a waste.

So think about your customer, the economy and where they'll be using your product... or get out the clearance gun.  The choice is yours.

It takes a Village

I was setting up my demonstrations before a show the other day on a television retailer.  As I was setting the props in place, a new network guest approached me and asked how I came up with my demos. "Well, we look at the product and develop a list of features and benefits and then we create demos that best highlight those," I said rather matter-of-fact.  "Who's WE?" he responded.  What?  For a moment, I didn't understand the question, what could he mean by that?  He could tell by the quizzical expression on my face that his new query had me stymied.  "I mean, who helps you?"  "Well, the vendor, the vendor rep, the prop master, my staff..." and as I was saying this I saw his expression starting to drop.  And then it hit me... he was on his own.  He had no support team, no one to help him come up with ideas, set up his demos or critique him when he was done with his show.  AND, the poor guy had several items he was selling that day and seemed a bit frazzled.  I felt for him, I really did.

In retrospect, I now realize how lucky I was to have excellent training when I started in this business and MANY years to come into my own in terms of product evaluation and presentation style.  BUT, the biggest thing I have learned, is to ask for help.  There is no such thing as a bad idea,  just some we choose not to use on the air.  But when you're developing a product presentation for television retailing, it adds so much when you do it as a group.  I am a 45 year old guy, so I'll see the item from a certain perspective, while a female colleague might see it in an entirely different light.  Is either one of wrong?  No, we just represent different potential customers and that's the beauty of it.  So, never do I try to create a whole presentation on my own anymore.  Sure, I could do it, but they are so much richer and successful when I have the input of my friends and peers.

When Sales Mattered...

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, it was a basic requirement of being a television shopping host that you had to be able to sell products... alone... without help... that means no guest expert.  Alas, those days are gone, or at least vanishing VERY quickly.  

I was having a conversation with a friend who has been in the business for almost 20 years and he made the observation that the days of the self-sufficient show host are almost gone.  They are a dying breed.  Time was that a host had to carry the whole show by themselves, moving from product to product and making the most of their presentation.  Nowadays though, well, let's just say the priorities have changed.

As a person who makes their living as a professional on-air guest, you'd think that I'd be "all about" this situation.  But, in all reality, a host who's not into the sales aspect of the gig only makes my job that much harder.  I want to focus on the features and benefits of the item;  they want to chat about anything else.  

So here's to that dying breed of hardcore presenters... the hosts that sell.

Play it Again Sam...

So, I read today that Tivo and Amazon are joining forces to offer products to viewers.  Apparently, we'll have the ability to order products we see on TV using the Tivo's remote control and Amazon will deliver.  Imagine, you're watching your favorite show and you happen to notice a food processor in a character's home.  You press a button on your Tivo remote and VIOLA!  You've just bought it through Amazon. 

Now, initially I thought, "oh great, I've got to find something new to do", but upon reflection I realized that it really won't hurt TV retailers as much as it will the brick and mortar types.  Why?  Well, because people go to stores to shop. Usually, they have something in mind that they're shopping for before they go.  That's their motivation for leaving home.  Conversely, when someone is watching TV, sitting on the couch, feet up, beer in hand (okay, that was for me), they're usually just zoned out watching the old "boob tube".  Not so much thinking about shopping.  That's where I come in... I make people want to buy product.  Sometimes it's something they need, sometimes they don't, but in the end, they want it.  It's  not as passive as just noticing a nice tchotchke in the background AND we actually explain the product and what it does.  Much different.  Now, in some instances, the Tivo system might work well.  Say if an author is being interviewed on a talk show, but books and music have never sold well on television retailers anyway.

So, while I don't disagree that the Tivo/Amazon concept will work (with two powerhouses like that, c'mon...), I also don't think that it's a threat to the networks that actually SELL products.

Mr. Know it All...

I absolutely hate it when I hear someone referred to as our "Mr Know it All" on a television retailer.  Oh really?!?  They know EVERYTHING?  Do they, or is it just that they SELL everything in every category imaginable? 

There's a certain shopping channel located in the South where they actually refer to a guest as "Mr. Know it All", and while he might know a lot, I don't think he knows it all.  I do know that he sells it all though and that's what gets my goat (whatever that means).  The guy sells everything from kid's toys to tools to electronics!  At least in the old days you knew that the host was there to sell stuff to you, period.  Lately, they've been positioning theses "experts" as being there only to inform, not sell...riiigghhttt.  

I think it cheapens someone's credibility as an "expert" in anything, if you're an expert in everything.  And yet, it keeps happening, with the same end result... lagging sales due to consumer skepticism.  And I don't blame them a bit for being wary of someone claiming such superhuman intellectual prowess.  No one likes a know it all, and no one trusts a salesman who sells too many products, because how can they possibly be passionate about so many items?  The pay check, perhaps, but not the products.  

I'm Lou, and I'm a Horologist...

Easy now, before you go jumping to conclusions, a horologist is an expert on watches and watchmaking. Now, while I might not be an expert in watch making, I seem to be pretty darn good at BUYING watches. The two best places I've found with the lowest prices and coolest selections would have to be ShopNBC and JTV. They both have knowledgeable hosts and outstanding values. It's gotten to the point where I can't be trusted to view their watch shows with a credit card in my hand. Which is a great irony, considering I've spent the last 2o years trying to tempt consumers myself. In fact, I had never bought ANYTHING from a TV Shopping network till I stumbled upon these darn watch shows.

But, what's really ingenious is the way ShopNBC and Invicta Watches have cosponsored a watch forum called watchgeeks.net. They talk about upcoming shows, visitors compare watches and brag about their latest acquisitions...it's brilliant. The folks who frequent the website give ShopNBC and their brands free buzz and enable each others compulsive behaviors, it's like chumming the water to attract sharks. Sadly, I am one of those sharks...like I said, I'm really good at buying watches.

I'd Like to Thank All of the Little People...

Why doesn't any Television Retailer want to sell to the little people anymore? Once upon a time, there was a level of TV Shopping Network for everyone with regards to price point. Now it seems like you have to be making a six figure income just to play the game. What's wrong with being the Kmart or Walmart of the airwaves? Last I checked, those were the retailers who were best weathering our economic downturn. I don't know about you, but I get a perverse thrill whenever I get a product at an outrageous discount. Sure, there are still some infomercial items to be found for the old $19.95 price here and there, but by and large every Shopping Network is trying to outdo each other in terms of price and opulence. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the network who decides that it's okay to be Kmart might just be the one to actually experience some growth during these trying times.

Embrace your inner Kmart shopper today!

Welcome to my blog!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the web. I'm a professional TV Shopping On-Air guest (former HSN host now pitching goods for others) and the owner of a multimedia production company (Caputo Creative, www.caputocreative.com ). Currently I'm selling home solutions and infomercial products on HSN and electronics on The Shopping Channel in Canada. Selling products on TV is something I've been doing for a REALLY long time and I REALLY enjoy it. Oddly enough, I also enjoy buying products, or more accurately, I enjoy shopping for new products, especially electronics. I'm a bit of a geek, so you might see some of that coming out now and again...